Exploring Recent Artemis Mission Updates and Heat Shield Challenges

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan debut went smoothly, but sluggish hardware integration raises doubts about meeting commitments, while Orion faces heat shield issues, potentially shaking up the Artemis manifest.

This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Lee Ryan, SmallSpark Space Systems, Benjamin, Pat, Lee, Fred, Warren, Josh from Impulse Space, Bob, Jan, Kris, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Harrison, Steve, Matt, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Joonas, Theo and Violet, Stealth Julian, Tyler, Frank, Pat from KC, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Joel, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters.

Topics

• Pentagon worried by slow pace of ULA’s Vulcan rocket development - The Washington Post
• ULA could fly dummy payload on next Vulcan launch if Dream Chaser is delayed - SpaceNews
• First Dream Chaser spaceplane needs more work when it gets to launch site | Ars Technica
• Amazon’s new satellite technician certification and Kuiper facility
• NASA says Artemis II report by its inspector general is unhelpful and redundant | Ars Technica
• NASA may alter Artemis III to have Starship and Orion dock in low-Earth orbit | Ars Technica

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